Method for increasing tonnage of ship by utilizing dock



Nov. 26, 1963 YUTAKA HAYASHI 3,111,925

METHOD FOR INCREASING TONNAGE OF SHIP BY UTILIZING DOCK Filed May 51, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 26, 1963 YUTAKA HAYASHl 3,111,925

' METHOD FOR INCREASING TONNAGE OF- SHIP BY UTILIZING nocK Filed May 31, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR ATTORNEY United States Patent F 3,111,925 METHOD Fillt lNCREASING TONNAGE 0F SEEP BY UTILIZING DUCK Yutalra Hayashi, Eulriai-ku, Kobe, Japan, assignor to Shin- .l'ulrogye Ka'hushihi Kaisha, Tokyo, .lapan Filed May 31, 1962, Ser. No. 200,797 Claims priority, application Japan June 6, 1961 Claims. (Cl. 114--77) This invention relates to a method for increasing the tonnage of ships by increasing the depth of the hulls of the ships. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for increasing the tonnage of ships by utilizing docks.

In conventional methods for increasing the depth of a large hull, an upper part of the hull is divided into portions of suitable sizes for transportation and then removed from the remaining lower portion of the ship by means of a crane. After an intermediate portion is joined to the lower part, each of said previously separated upper parts is conveyed back and installed on the intermediate portion one by one subsequently. In such a method, since the upper part has to be divided into suitably small sizes conveyable by a crane, a long time and a huge cost are required for cutting, transportation and junction. Consequently, the work of increasing the tonnage by increasing the depth of the hull of a ship has been very difiicult and almost impossible for a large ship.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method for increasing the tonnage of ship by increasing the depth of the hull thereof, in that the hull is cut into an upper part and a lower part along a junction plane whereon a newly-built part for increasing the depth of the hull is to be mounted, and by utilizing the clock, it is separated from the lower part, thereby enabling increasing the depth of the ship inexpensively and while eliminating the slitting of the upper hull into small portions. Another object of this invention is to provide a method for increasing the tonnage of a ship by utilizing the dock, in that the hull is cut into upper and lower parts along a junction plane, wherein a newly-built part is to be mounted, said upper part of the hull being separated from said lower part and an intermediate third part is assembled onto the lower part for increasing the depth of the hull, the assembled lower and third parts are then lifted relative to said upper part and joined therewith.

It is a further object of the invention to raise and lower the lower part of the hull relative to the upper part by varying the water level in the dock.

It is a still further object of the invention to raise and lower the lower part of the hull relative to the upper part by lifting means interposed between the upper part of the hull and the clock.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of this invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross section of a dock showing the upper part of the hull resting on the lower part along a junction plane;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section similar to that in FIG. 1, wherein the lower part of the hull is separated from the upper part;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section similar to that in FIG. 2, wherein an intermediate part is shown assembled on the lower part of the hull; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross section similar to that in FIG. 3, wherein the upper part of the hull has been assembled with the previously joined lower and intermediate parts.

In FIGURE l the hull is out along the junction plane 1 and divided into an upper part A and a lower part B.

3,111,925 Patented Nov. 26, 1963 "ice On opposite ends 2 of the above upper part A are provided carrying members 3 which are supported on supporting means 4 secured to the dock D. As seen in FIGURE 1, wherein the said carrying members 3 rest on the supporting means 4, if the lower part B of the hull is moved downward relative to the dock D, the said carrying members 3 remain supported on the supporting means 4- so that the upper part A of the hull is supported by the dock D. As shown in FIGURE 2, the upper part A and the lower part B are separated from each other. In order to move the lower part B downward relative to the upper part A, various means may be utilized. As an example the lower part B of the hull may be loaded to cause it to sink more deeply in the water. As a further example the hull may be introduced into the dock D at high tide whereby during lowering of the tide the part B of the hull will be lowered therewith. In the case of floating docks, the dock D may be a floating dock and made to float higher, thereby raising the upper part A therewith. As a further possibility a jack 5 or the like may be interposed between the carrying members 3 and the supporting means 4.

The separated lower part B of the hull is taken out of the dock D, installed with the newly-built additional part C for increasing the depth of the hull, is reintroduced into the dock while the upper part A of the hull is sustained at the position as shown in FIGURE 3. By an operation in reverse to the separation of the upper part A of the hull from the lower part B, the lower part B with the assembled part C thereon is moved upwards relative to the dock D, and after the part C and the upper part A are properly aligned fore and aft, and port and starboard, the lower part B is moved further upward so to disengage the upper part A and the carrying members 3 from the supporting means 4. Thereafter, the upper part A of the hull is installed on the part C and thus the work for increasing tonnage is completed in the position shown in FIGURE 4.

Since it is necessary to adjust minutely the position of upper part A with respect to the lower part B of the hull and part C thereon, a wedge type block, launching sand block or jack etc. may be used between the carrying members 3 and supporting means 4.

As abovementioned, the method for increasing tonnage of the ship in this invention comprises preliminarily dividing the hull into an upper part and a lower part along a junction plane whereon an intermediate part is adapted to be mounted, and while the upper part is supported by the dock. The upper part and the lower part of the hull are separated from each other by downward movement of the lower part relative to the upper part, and on the lower part is installed the intermediate part which increases the depth of the hull. The upper part is next joined to the assembled lower and intermediate parts to complete the assembly.

In the above method for increasing the tonnage of ships according to this invention, consumption of tools and material required for cutting up and rejoining the upper part of ship and a crane for transporting the divided upper part are no longer necessary. Furthermore, by the use of buoyancy of the dock, the difierence in tide height between high tide and low tide, loading heavy goods on the lower part or a device for lifting the upper part relative to the dock results in further reduction of expenditures for increasing the tonnage of ships.

In the method of this invention, since the upper part of the ship is supported on the dock without being divided into many portions, a difiiculty of the prior art is avoided in that a relatively large space of storage heretofore necessary for storage of such divided upper parts during the construction of the intermediate part is no longer necessary.

In case the work of increasing depth by method of increasing tonnage of this invention is carried out concurrently with the conventional extension construction work of hull, even if the upper part is cut off along the plane wherein the newly-built part for increasing depth of the hull is to be mounted and accordingly, section todulus in the center part of the lower part of the hull may be lessened, as the lower part is further slitted in vertical direction at its center part, in order to insert the newly-built part for increasing length of the hull, special reinforcement on the lower part is not necessary. In this case too, as increasing work may be carried out for each of the lower part of the hull slitted in vertical direction in the similar manner as the above, accordingly more effective method for increasing tonnage can be obtained and time and expense for reconstruction can be reduced.

In addition, since the upper part of the hull is not cut up in the present invention as in the prior art, possible breakage of the upper structure as well as any damage to the appearance of the upper part due to cutting thereof is avoided.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes of the disclosed embodiments may be performed without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of separating the hull of a ship into two parts and joining the parts together with a third part interposed therebetween comprising dividing the hull into two parts along a junction plane, supporting the parts together in a dock, relatively moving the parts with respect to one another while supporting one of the parts from the dock and leaving the other of said parts floating in water in the dock, assembling the third part of the hull on the said other part while supporting said one part from the dock, relatively moving the assembled parts towards the supported first part and joining the first part to the assembled parts.

2. A method of separating the hull of a ship into two parts and joining the parts together with a third part interposed therebetween comprising dividing the hull into an upper and a lower part along a junction plane, supporting the parts together in a dock, separating the parts by moving the same relative to one another in a vertical direction while supporting the upper part from the dock and leaving the lower part floatin in water in the dock, assembling said third part on the lower part while the upper part is supported from the dock, vertically moving towards one another the upper part and the assembled lower and third parts until the upper part rests on the third part and joining the upper part to the third part.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said upper and lower parts are separated by loading the lower part to cause the same to sink lower in the water in the dock.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said upper and lower parts are separated by adjusting the water level in the dock to cause the lower part to be selectively raised and lowered with respect to the dock and the upper part supported thereby.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said upper and lower parts are separated by floating the dock and causing the dock to be selectively raised and lowered to in turn cause the upper part to be raised and lowered with respect to the lower part in the dock.

6. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said upper and lower parts are separated by raising the upper part of the hull on the dock while supporting the upper part from the doei References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,061,153 Wolfe May 6, 1913 1,081,446 Hargrove Dec. 16, 1913 1,813,248 Mestice July 7, 1931 2,371,149 Bylo Mar. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 836,609 Germany Apr. 15, 1952 916,815 France Aug. 26, 1946 

1. A METHOD OF SEPARATING THE HULL OF A SHIP INTO TWO PARTS AND JOINING THE PARTS TOGETHER WITH A THIRD PART INTERPOSED THEREBETWEEN COMPRISING DIVIDING THE HULL INTO TWO PARTS ALONG A JUNCTION PLANE, SUPPORTING THE PARTS TOGETHER IN A DOCK, RELATIVELY MOVING THE PARTS WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER WHILE SUPPORTING ONE OF THE PARTS FROM THE DOCK AND LEAVING THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS FLOATING IN WATER IN THE DOCK, ASSEMBLING THE THIRD PART OF THE HULL ON THE SAID OTHER PART WHILE SUPPORTING SAID ONE PART FROM THE DOCK, RELATIVELY MOVING THE ASSEMBLED PARTS TOWARDS THE SUPPORTED FIRST PART AND JOINING THE FIRST PART TO THE ASSEMBLED PARTS. 